2020 Releases

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

The Four Horsemen: Bright by LJ Swallow (a Christmas Episode of The Four Horseman series) was released 3 December 2018.

The Four Horsemen face Christmas, and the holiday season is a greater challenge than they expected. The parties are hell, the traditions confusing, and the angel they encounter isn’t the one Vee places on top of their Christmas tree.

Do you want to know what happens to the Four Horsemen and Vee after Reckoning? Their story continues in Bright, a Christmas themed book set in The Four Horsemen series world. Bright is the first in a new series of occasional episodes, which explore the fives' new future, new challenges, and their deeper connections as a group.

The events in Bright take place shortly after the end of Reckoning. The original series must be read first

Unforsaken by Cassie Laelyn (Book 1 in the The Fallen Guardians series) was released on 14 January 2019. This is Cassie's debut book!!

Hidden deep in the Snowy Mountains, lives a brotherhood of immortal Guardians, banished from the Heavens.
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After centuries of exile, Head Guardian Raven can taste Hell. One wrong move could destroy his soul. When Fate assigns him a female mortal to protect, his forbidden desire becomes a distraction he can't afford. Giving in to temptation risks plummeting into the fiery pits of Hell, dragging her along with him.
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Tayla Eason is on the run, escaping a horrific attack on her life. When she lands in the arms of the sexy, alluring man who saved her, the shadows of her past swiftly close in. But when Fate throws a twist, Tayla's forced to choose between saving Raven's soul or fleeing before the creatures strike again.
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In an ultimate test of love, the two must battle against the almighty Fate. But will it be enough to save them both?

Arcane Awakenings, Books Five and Six by Shelley Russell Nolan (volume 3 of the Arcane Awakenings series) was released on 13 November.

In Divine Captive, Grace is mistakenly kidnapped for having psychic abilities. When her abductor discovers his error, she’s forced to use her wits to ensure her survival. Faced with enemies with incredible powers, she soon realises she may not be as ordinary as she’d always believed.

Then in Spirit Unleashed, punished her entire life for not being psychic, her father’s death reveals everything Rose believed is wrong. Now she must find a way to control her new-found abilities before those who have misjudged her force her to fulfil their diabolical plans.

In the exciting conclusion to the Arcane Awakenings Series, Grace and Rose have the odds stacked against them. Out-matched and out-numbered, they will have to fight for their lives. But will their burgeoning abilities lead them to victory or death?

Arcane Awakenings – a fast-paced paranormal fantasy novella series. See the series page on Shelley's website. Get all three volumes for a low price until the end of January!

Alien Under Cover by Marie Dry (Book 2 in the Zyrgin Warriors series)was released as an audio book narrated by Anne James.

In a bleak and apocalyptic future, Julia Benzoni flees the violence-saturated world of her mafia family to build a peaceful life in a No Name Town, Montana. Now, while civilization disintegrates into anarchy around her and evil men prey on the innocent, she’s pursued by an alien, whose warrior life thrusts her back into the world where might makes right and violence is the order of the day. Torn, she now has to choose between her need to distance herself from war and violence and the alien warrior who holds her heart.

Jemima Hardcastle has a sad history. After her father was murdered by a secret society of magicians, her guardian and new heir to Willow Park, Edward Huntington, packed her off to boarding school. In the four years she was there, she never saw him again until she escaped from school to a house party and there he was. He did not recognise her and he even flirted with her.

A disastrous kiss, a murder and a stolen jewel herald dire happenings. Jemima is shipped off to Willow Park in the care of Fulton, Edward’s man, to be under the chaperonage of the odious Aunt Prudence and the meek cousin, Milly. While avoiding stitching in the evenings, she discovers Edward’s scientific genius and the artificial leg he made for Fulton. Her esteem for Edward rises and she is actually looking forward to seeing him again when he does not arrive as planned.

When they realise Edward is abducted, Jemima schemes to go in rescue. She has cunning and she has money and with these she plunges herself and her companions into the world of dark sorcery and London shopping.

In London, Jemima and Fulton lead a double life as they search for Edward in the slums, manufactureys and even a bawdy house. When she final discovers Edward, her life is on the line.

While a vicious and bloody fight for survival is going on around him, Edward has to choose between saving her life or unleashing the unholy, vampiric beast Geneck on an unsuspecting London.

Mage by LJ Swallow (Book 1 in the Fringe Realmsseries) and was released 9th January.

Is Eleanor a player trapped in the Fringe Realms or is she a character created to live inside the game?

Ready Player One meets Westworld in this new sci-fi fantasy series.

Eleanor Walker wakes in a forest with vague memories of her life, no possessions, and a silver band strapped to her wrist. She’s not sure what's strangest about the next event – meeting spiders bigger than a human, or the fire that shoots from her hands.

She steps further into the dark and comes across three guys who are part of this unfamiliar new world. Jay the cleric with muscles worthy of a warrior, Dean the smart-mouthed assassin, and her real-life friend Aidan—who can now transform into something terrifying.

All four are convinced they’re stuck in a game and their combined powers create a team as strong as the characters they once played online. The group journey through their new world filled with hazardous quests and rewards, where working and levelling up together brings the four closer. Now they need to figure out how to reach the end game and escape.

Everything changes when they discover somebody hidden inside the game. Ethan has dangerous secrets to share and information that threatens Eleanor and her companions' future.

Why is Eleanor in the game and what will she find when she reaches the fringes of her new world?

Fringe Realms: Mage is a slow burn reverse harem for fans of dystopian science fiction and fantasy. The book contains gamelit/LitRPG elements.

Please note: This is not a 'pure' LitRPG novel but contains a levelling system, stats, and a character whose journey is tied to her character abilities and progress in-game.

Caught up in a vicious civil war, elven princess Gwaethe Arenil is desperate to save her faction and reunite her people. Help presents itself in the form of Captain Jacques Vorasava, the dashing human Brightcastle commander. But does Jacques’s aid come with more dangers than Gwaethe can endure, both for her people and her heart? This story continues themes from The Elf King’s Lady.

When I wrote The Elf King’s Lady, I realised I would be returning to give Gwaethe Arenil her happily ever after. Gwaethe is the half-sister of Elf King’s Lady hero Kain Jazara and there was much left in his story, let alone Gwaethe’s. The exotic elven princess is determined to save her people and bring Kain into his rightful place as leader of the elven race.

Gwaethe was a major secondary character in Elf King and this is where she met Jacques Vorasava, the human she finds difficult to resist. They fought on the same side, creating a bond of respect and loyalty that laid the foundations for deeper feelings. But as they are thrown together a second time, Gwaethe begins to realise the yawning chasm that separates them.

Elf Princess Warrior is a story of inter-racial love set amidst the greater conflict of war. I hope readers enjoy the story as Gwaethe and Jacques navigate the treacherous territory of lust, love, war and political intrigue. Elf Princess Warrior will be available at the end of the year.

Binding Blood by Daniel de Lorne (Book 3 the Bonds of Blood series) was released by Escape Publishing on 20 December.

Daniel de Lorne's gripping, romantic, blood-drenched trilogy ends with Binding Blood, a story of pain, longing, love, and the long road to redemption.

Monsters don’t get to be heroes…

Betrayed by his brother and imprisoned in his sister’s dungeon, Olivier d’Arjou isn’t about to let a few chains get in his way. A vampire for six hundred years and a plague on his family for longer, he has no reason to hold back from wiping out the last of his family members and anyone who gets in his way. But first, he’ll need to break free.

When Oberon North, witch and survivor of one of Olivier’s most heinous crimes, comes seeking vengeance, it should be child’s play to bend the witch to his will. But Oberon comes with more power and resilience than Olivier expects and forces him to confront truths he’d rather avoid.

But Olivier’s inner conflict must take a backseat when he learns of his sister Aurelia’s plan to save the world from the demon Xadrak. A battle generations in the making, to succeed requires the ultimate sacrifice from both Olivier and his brother Thierry – and the last chance Olivier has to reclaim his humanity and a future he never thought possible.

Touch of Eon by Anna Hackett (Book 2 of the Eon Warriors series) was released on 9 January.

She’ll do anything to free her sister and save the Earth from invasion, even if she’s blackmailed into stealing sacred alien artifacts…and becomes the prey of the dark, deadly warrior sent to hunt her down.

Special Forces Space Marine Lara Traynor wants to save her sister and her planet from annihilation by the deadly insectoid Kantos. Earth’s Space Corps give her one option: steal three gems sacred to the Eon Warriors. Lara has never failed a mission and she doesn’t plan to start now. What she doesn’t expect is the big, hard-bodied warrior the Eon sent to stop her.

Security Commander Caze Vann-Jad was born and raised to be the best Eon warrior in the empire. Honed by the military academy, his years as a stealth agent, and by his hard warrior father, he has never failed. He knows one weak, inferior Terran is no match for him. But when he finds himself face to face with the tough, skilled Lara, he realizes he’s underestimated the female warrior.

When they are attacked by a Kantos kill squad, it soon becomes clear that the Kantos are planning something far darker and dangerous. Caze and Lara are forced to change their dangerous battle of wits and skill into a fierce battle for survival. Neither of these fighters believe in love, but on the trail of a stolen gem, they will ignite an unstoppable desire, and discover that not only are their lives at stake, but their hearts as well.

Heron and Hemi by Anna Hackett (Books 12 & 13 of Hell Squad series) was released in audio format during January.

Squad mates, best friends, and fighting to survive in the middle of an alien invasion. Can she make one stubborn alpha-male soldier see her as something else?

Sienna Rossi has always been a mix of contradictions. She loves ice cream, likes cooking, and is skilled at taking down aliens with her squad. Sweet and tough, soldier and woman, most people can't seem to make sense of her...even the loving family she lost in the invasion, and especially men. One man accepts her as she is: her best friend, Theron. But the big, silent, muscled soldier has her firmly in the "friends" zone...except that Sienna knows he wants her, and she's determined to claim the stubborn man as hers.

Theron Wade lives to fight aliens. They killed his parents, his foster siblings, and his fellow Rangers. Now, he has a new team - the tough, mostly-female Squad Nine. But one certain female haunts his dreams and stars in his darkest fantasies. Sienna is his sunshine in the darkness. He wants to her to be happy...and he knows that would never be with a man like him. A man with darker, rougher tastes that would shock her.

As Squad Nine works to track and destroy a dangerous alien device, best friends collide. Theron introduces Sienna to a world of rough, edgy passion that she craves. But as a mission goes off track, the two of them will risk everything for love, for their lives, and to save the world.

Note to listeners: This sci-fi romance contains a lot of action (think climbing shattered skyscrapers and daring rescue missions), tough warriors (the kick-ass ladies of Squad Nine and the badasses of Hell Squad) and a steamy romance (lots of edgy sexy times between a quiet, stubborn soldier and his tenacious best friend). So, if you like it fast, gritty, and sexy, this is for you!

In the middle of an alien invasion, a big, tough, tattooed former mercenary is finally going to chase down his woman.

Camryn McNab knows love is a lie. Okay, maybe not for everybody - her fellow soldiers on Squad Nine have managed to fall in love in the middle of a vicious alien attack. But it's not for her. She comes from two people incapable of love. For now, her life is about survival, fighting to protect others, and kicking some alien raptor butt. What she doesn't need is a certain wild, bearded, tattoo-covered soldier always underfoot, messing with her things, and driving her crazy. But no matter how hard she tries to outrun Hemi Rahia, she can't seem to shake him, and a terrified part of doesn't even want to....

A member of the Squad Three berserkers, Hemi knows his squad has a reputation for not following the rules and being a little wild. Former bikers, mercenaries, and...other less savory things, they fight hard and party harder. But Hemi has known for a while now that there is only one woman for him. One courageous, sexy, attitude-filled woman he wants to claim as his own. But he has to catch her first.

Tasked with a top-secret mission deep in alien creeper territory, Hemi and Cam will fight side-by-side to achieve their dangerous goal. Their chemistry is off the charts, but persistent Hemi wants more than Cam's body...he wants her heart and soul as well. As their battle with the aliens turns deadly, they will have to fight not only for their love, but for their very survival.

Note to listeners: This sci-fi romance contains a lot of action (dangerous missions and deadly aliens), tough warriors (the kickass ladies of Squad Nine and the badass berserkers), and a steamy romance (lots of sexy times between a bearded wild man and his sexy soldier). So if you like it fast, and gritty, and sexy, this is for you!

Sprits and Spellshas an inclusion by Kim Cleary called Uplifting Real Life Paranormal.

Spirits & Spells is a podcast by USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins & Alex Owens, both of whom are obsessed with things they can't explain - especially the weird, the witchy, and the woefully spectral.

Step beyond the veil with twenty-one spooky tales of TRUE supernatural encounters by some of today's hottest paranormal authors. Between these pages, you'll witness a pair of disembodied legs cross the street and wake up beside ghostly felines; you'll experience visits from deceased family members and be haunted by terrifying shadow people. But be forewarned: these strange tales will send shivers down your spine and make you certain you're not alone, even when you are.

The old saying is true: real life is stranger (and scarier!) than fiction.

Hunted byShona Husk (Book 2 of the Coven of the Raven series) was released on 13 December.

People coming to the Uncommon Raven Agency for protection, are at the end of the line.

Noah Kelly takes the cases no other bodyguard will, the ones where demons are hunting the victim. Trouble is, he’s never managed to stop a demon from killing. Not even to save the girlfriend whose murder he was acquitted of four years ago. Since then he’s been determinedly single as he tries to find a way to stop demons and ease his guilt.

Rachel Jarrett knew she was in trouble when the divorce lawyer she’d been dealing with is found dead—his limbs torn off. She runs, desperate to flee her husband, and finds herself at the Uncommon Raven Agency in the hands of a man with his own secrets. When she tells Noah what she’s seen he doesn’t laugh. He talks about possession.

For Noah, falling into bed with a client was always going to be bad news, but when her ex is a demon it could be fatal.

Hood and the Highwaymen by TJ Nichols is a MM fantasy romance and was released on 21 January.

Aubrey is a Red Hood, one of the king’s dispensers of justice. He likes that the job gets him out of the city, but he tires of seeing too many abuse the privileges of the role. After three hoods go missing in Nightlark Woods while supposedly capturing the highwaymen, Aubrey is sent to investigate. The king warns him to be careful of werewolves, but Aubrey doesn’t believe in peasant superstitions.

Lyle and Jardin are forest folk; they live in the woods not the town. They keep the trails clear and eke out an existence. For Jardin it’s not enough. He wants more than scrabbling around to survive. With his lover, Lyle, he has been robbing the rich as they travel through. Some of the coins they share with the rest of the village, the rest go into their cache for the day they leave. Jardin isn’t sure he’s ready to leave his pack—he is one of the few werewolves still roaming the woods. If he leaves, he won’t be allowed back, but he hungers for more.

When Aubrey arrives in Nightlark, he finds far more than he expected. Can he protect the wolves and serve his king? Or will he follow his heart and carve out a new life for himself far away from court intrigues?

Nothing to Lose by Claire Boston (Book 4 of the Blackbridge series) was released 28 January.

A murder brought them together. Will the killer rip them apart?

Kit’s blunt attitude keeps people at a distance. It’s the best way for the dairy farmer stave off the painful rejection she received from her parents and later her guardian Lincoln. But a shocking murder on her farm brings back the handsome man from her past in a big way…

Police Sgt. Lincoln Zanetti wishes he could’ve revealed his feelings for Kit years ago. Keeping their past secret, he uses his assignment to the case to protect the woman he loves. But even his pent-up affection can’t keep her from being a suspect or a target…

As their passion blooms anew, the ruthless murderer strikes the farm again. Can Lincoln and Kit put the killer away before their second chance at love turns deadly?

Nothing to Lose is the final standalone novel in The Blackbridge Series of romantic suspense. If you like tough women, stoic men, and small-town romance, you’ll love Claire Boston’s nail-biting tale.

Fate Uncertain by Kim Cleary (Book 3 of Daughter of Ravenswood series) is expected to be released on 28 February.

She thought they were safe. But the undead aren’t the only enemy...

Meagan Greystone struggles with the Dark Arts. A major problem for a witch who can raise the dead.

Her boyfriend, Glynn Buckley, answers a plea for help in nearby Brimbank. When Meagan hears rumour of an uprising she assumes the worst and bullies her way into the locked down city. Meagan has the power and the skills to help, but this is no ordinary uprising. Something dark is going on in the old city. Something evil. Something unholy.

Glynn wants Meagan safe at home, but this determined witch has other ideas. She’s lost too many loved ones already. No way will Glynn be next.

Can Megan find a way to save many lives, as well as the one that matters most, or will she again suffer at the whim of a power that just might be too powerful after all?

Books 2 & 3 will also be re-released with new covers are available for pre-order now. They all will be at a lower price during their release week!

Path Unchosen by Kim Cleary (Book 1 of Daughter of Ravenswood series) is expected to be re-released on 30 January.

When everyone lies, who can you trust?

Judy Hudson has no idea of her power, or vulnerability. Adrift without purpose, or ambition, all she knows is fear and suspicion. That is about to change.

Purah—a beautiful, otherworldly stranger—whisks her to a mysterious, old mansion and reveals a life-changing secret.
Judy is a witch who can raise the dead. She's dangerous, and she can do great harm. But her's is not the only secret in Winterhurst.

A powerful sorcerer is waiting for her and the perfect moment to strike. He must be stopped before an innocent town is destroyed. As Judy discovers her identity and heritage, she learns she is the key to stop an ancient evil.

Can she learn to harness her gift, and resist a lure that promises power beyond her wildest dreams?

Truth Unveiled by Kim Cleary (Book 2 of Daughter of Ravenswood series) is expected to be re-released on 12 February.

Betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust forever, Meagan faces the most powerful necromancer who ever lived. Alone.

After a cold and lonely childhood, Meagan thinks she’s finally found peace in her ancestral home of Ravenswood Manor. But just as she tentatively starts to find friends, a strange voice in her head compels her with tempting power and abilities beyond her wildest dreams.

Her great-grandfather, Quintus – a man known both for his magical talent and cruelty – is at play, and she turns to her father’s spirit for help. But when he disappears, Meagan must properly raise him from the dead for the chance to be rid of Quintus. During the incantation, the one person Meagan thought would never betray her – does. Quintus rises instead of her father.

Now walking again and determined to recover his power, Quintus will turn everyone Meagan holds dear into mindless slaves unless she joins him. Can Meagan find a way to defeat one of the most powerful necromancers who has ever lived, or will she lose everything in the battle?

Wicked Games by M.J. Scott (Book 1 of TechWitch series) will be available in paperback on 31 January.

My mother was a wicked witch. And all her spells ever brought was trouble. Since her death, with no power of my own, I’ve stayed far, far away from magic . . .

In a San Francisco struggling to recover from earthquakes and rising seas, and where technology can do things that are close enough to magic anyway, Maggie Lachlan is a computer whisperer. The one they call when no one else can find the elusive bug bringing a complex system to its knees. They call her the Techwitch. But she knows there’s nothing magical about what she does. It’s just hard-earned skill.

So when Damon Riley, owner of the world’s biggest virtual reality gaming company comes calling with a problem that his entire empire of geeks can’t fix, Maggie leaps at the job. Riley Arts is the kind of place she feels at home. Wall-to-wall tech. No magic. Except, perhaps, for the unsettling chemistry she has with the man in charge.

But she never imagined stepping into one of Damon’s games would reveal her mother lied about Maggie’s magic. Or that technology could break a spell she never knew she was under. Now she has a demon hunting her and a whole world she knows nothing about to navigate. To save herself—and the world—she needs to learn fast.

Because, when it comes to magic, too many games are wicked. And if you lose, the price can be very, very high . .

A love potion gone wrong leads to a goddess hijacking Alexis’s body. Now Alexis will do anything to catch her boss’s eye. It’s unfortunate that he starts to notice her for all the wrong reasons. Such as the army of cats following her around.

Peyton Kilpatrick has always kept his relationship with Alexis professional despite the simmering interest. But something has changed, she crackles with magic and she wants more from him than he’s able to give. As a witch and a lawyer his life is complicated enough, throw in a hell hound bite that causes all kinds of side effects around the full moon and he really isn’t boyfriend material.

When Alexis finally gets Peyton in bed, things get hairy. Peyton reveals what he is and convinces her to give up her new-found power. If she doesn’t get rid of the goddess inhabiting her body, she’ll die.

Stolen byShona Husk (Book 4 of the Coven of the Raven series).

Cosima and her brother, Anthony, have been trading magical objects and making a killing. Right up until their latest treasure kills Anthony. With a curse now on her tail she goes to the one person she knows can help.

Sawyer Jones, is a thief and property acquirer for a price. He can strip the magic from objects and use it himself for a time. He never expected to see Cosima Delaney again. Last time they spoke she broke his nose and stole the sword he’d been casing.

There isn’t enough money in the world to convince Sawyer to take this case…but making Cosima pay for denting his pride and taking his hard-won prize, now that is almost worth the trouble this will bring.

Saturday, 26 January 2019

You’ve now written over forty-five novels—do you ever struggle to put words on the page?

I struggle.

Every. Single. Book.

Seriously, I don’t think there’s an author
out there who doesn’t experience this at some point (well, maybe not Nora
Roberts—that woman is a writing machine!) For me, it usually hits about 2/3rds
of the way through the book and feels like it’d be easier to pull my teeth out
than to get words onto the page.

When this happens, I usually start by going
back a couple of chapters and doing a read-through, editing along the way. This
will often boot the muse into gear. But if it doesn’t, then I slash my daily
word count and just tell myself it’s all about getting some words on the page,
and it doesn’t matter how few or how bad they are.

There are plenty of other options that may
help if you get stuck. Though I tend not to do it myself (too many tight
deadlines), switching to another book will often clear the blockage. Or you
could try my famous last resort—when all else fails, kill somebody. In a book
sense, of course. J Think of the worst possible thing that could happen to your
hero/heroine at that point, and do it. Sometimes the lack of words is the muse
silently trying to tell you the story is slow/going in the wrong
direction/needs something to happen.

If
there is one bit of advice you could give new writers, what would it be?

Only one? Seriously, that’s not going to
happen.

1—first and foremost, write what you love!
Don’t chase trends. Don’t write something just because you think it’ll be the
best way to make money. You have to love what you’re doing if you’re going to
survive in this business for any length of time.

2—writing is a business. Treat it as such.
Be professional in every aspect.

3—if you’re self-publishing, take the time
and effort to put out the best product you absolutely can. Yes, it’s expensive to get good covers, and
editors/copy editors/proof readers aren’t cheap, but trust me, it’s worth it in
the long run.

4—this may be somewhat controversial to
some, but don’t switch and change genres book to book. Not when you’re trying
to build your career. Readers like knowing they’re going to get a certain type
of read from an author, so if you’re constantly chopping and changing, it’ll
take far longer to build a good following.

5—if you’re going the traditional route,
read that contract carefully! Or, better yet, get an agent or literary lawyer
to go through it for you. Understand every clause. Understand what those
clauses could mean for you not just for this book, but also for future books.
There are some horrendous clauses sneaking into contracts these days—and I’m
not kidding when I say they could destroy your career in the far distant
future. One such clause helped bring down my trad career.

What’s
next for Keri Arthur?

I’ve just sent Burn—book 3 of the
Kingdoms of Earth & Air series—to my editor, and I’m currently writing Wicked
Wings, the 5th book in the Lizzie Grace series.

My next release is Demon’s Dance, book 4 of
the Lizzie Grace series, which comes out Feb 12th.

Demon's Dance

After dealing with human hunters killing werewolves for their pelts and a heretic witch determined to

claim the wild magic for his own, the last thing either Lizzie Grace or Belle Kent need is a new evil burning into town.

When Lizzie’s asked to find a missing woman, she’s well aware death awaits. What she doesn’t expect to find is a very human pile of skin next to the woman’s body. Nor does she expect to be called to a murder scene that has the classic hallmarks of a vampire attack… except the bite marks don’t match any recorded vampire bite.

As the body count grows, Lizzie, Belle, and Aiden struggle to find—and stop—whoever or whatever is behind the atrocities. But there’s an even greater danger on the horizon.

The newly appointed reservation witch has arrived… and it’s someone Lizzie knows.

Bio: Keri Arthur, the author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series, has now written more than forty-five novels. She’s received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards, won several ARRA Awards, and has been awarded an RT Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She’s also something of a wanna-be photographer, so when she’s not at her computer writing the next book, she can be found somewhere in the Australian countryside taking random photos.